For years, Principles of Knitting has been touted as the ultimate resource guide for new and experienced knitters.

OVERTAKEN!

There are many excellent and comprehensive guides on answering every possible question a person could have about knitting…tools, techniques, history, yarns, notions, etc.  When I found a copy of the original “Principles of Knitting” by June Hemmons Hiatt in a used book store for $7, I couldn’t have been more thrilled…it was a highly sought-after book until it was republished in 2012.

Vogue Knitting was always an excellent guide to recommend to knitters as well.  Honestly, it was always equally as good as POK, but always seemed to play second fiddle.

Until now…

Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book has no become the most highly recommended knitting resources of all the major compendiums.

In this most recent update, they have done the most amazing thing…the went through every word of the older version, deciding on what was worth keeping.  And for those outdated, unnecessary sections, they either updated them to include the most recent information, or they eliminated it.

Their bold claim of being “The Ultimate Knitting Book” is not just a claim…they truly have done all the work necessary to make this the current winner.

Some examples of updates:

• Extensive review of yarn gauges in words, WPI and photos and recommended needle sizes that makes sense
• Publication of the “Standard Yarn Weights” (which I hate, btw, but now there is a comparison of a useful chart with the newfangled standards being widely published)
• Update on tools to reflect what is available today
• A techniques section that focuses on old standards as well as current interests
• A fully updated cross-referencing between sections (which must have taken months of effort)
• Color-coded page sections that make it easy to find topics easily

All-in-all, they made changes to this publication that I never even knew I wanted, but will soon become invaluable.  They have truly set the standard for complete knitting guides that others will need to incorporate if they want to compete in any way with VK:TUKB.

Suffice it to say, even if you have other knitting books in your library, this is one that should be there too…even if you’re a vastly experienced knitter.  They even have a picture tutorial on how to do the cross-stitch pattern from my Koigu Cross Stitch Scarf!

Current Knitting

So far, I’m quite pleased with both the yarn that Blog readers chose for my current WIP and the progress I’m making

In addition to adding a few more inches to the body of the cardigan, I have also started to tack down the hem lining, and I’ve installed pockets…the first one is finished.

I still have to finish tacking down the hem lining and finish the other pocket…but I’m pleased with how it’s all going so far.